Canadian handcyclist Maarten Duif secured his inaugural world-championship medal by clinching the silver in the men’s H1 road race on Sunday in Huntsville, Alabama. The athlete from Carleton Place, Ontario, finished second behind defending world titleholder Fabrizio Cornegliani from Italy, who completed the 55.2-kilometer race in one hour and 59 minutes and 13 seconds, claiming his 11th world medal. Patrik Jahoda from Czechia took home the bronze for the second consecutive year.
Reflecting on his achievement, Duif stated, “I didn’t anticipate this success at the beginning, but everything fell into place during the first lap. The competition was tough, and I did my best. Winning the silver medal and representing Canada is a great honor. I set ambitious goals for myself, and it’s surreal to have achieved silver. It hasn’t sunk in yet, but it will soon.”
This marks Canada’s third medal at the 2026 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, which are set to conclude on Monday. Earlier, Michael Sametz and Alexandre Hayward secured silver and bronze, respectively, in the men’s C3 individual time trial.
Duif, originally from Holland, had an outstanding performance at the recent World Cup events in Gistel, Belgium, and Abruzzo, Italy, where he led the Canadian team with four medals, including two silvers in the road race and two bronzes in the time trial.
His journey in the sport began less than a decade ago when he purchased his first handcycle in 2018 and started competitive racing the following year. Through rigorous training and dedication, Duif steadily built his strength and endurance, culminating in his remarkable success at the world championships.
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